Bewitched

by Max Hudson

  Noah dove in. He took Ari's lips, sampling the enticing spices from their shared meal back at La Guarda. As he extended his tongue for a better taste, Ari sank into him, inquisitive fingers prying into his tousled hair. He pulled away breathless as his heart pumped erratic blood through his veins.

  He licked his lips and whispered, “Let's do that again.”

  “I would love to kiss you again.”

  “No,” Noah said with a chuckle. “A date—let's do another date.”

  Ari grinned, eyes sparkling. “I would love that.”

  Chapter Five

  Ari

  An aura of excitement buzzed around Ari as he drummed his fingers against his desk. His curtains were wide open, light trickling through the window and splashing across his dark slacks. The warmth of the rays invigorated him and inspired him to stand. He crossed the room, prepared a new pot of coffee, and hummed as he returned to his seat.

  “Is it me,” Marc chimed from the doorway. “Or do you sound chipper today? Are you running a fever?”

  “Am I not entitled to feel joy every so often?”

  “Did you meet a serial killer? Is that what happened?”

  Ari chuckled as his eyes sparkled with delight. “I hope he's a serial killer. I think that would add a spark to my drab existence.”

  “It sounds like that blind date went better than expected.”

  “Much better.”

  Marc smiled warmly as he sidled up to the coffee pot and helped himself to a fresh mug. While Ari observed him, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. His palm itched as he resisted the urge to check it.

  “Tell me about it.”

  Marc raised a spare mug to Ari who nodded.

  “We went to the restaurant, La Guarda,” Ari explained. “It was lovely.”

  “Nothing like spices to get the romantic juices going.”

  Ari chuckled. “It was delightful. He's incredibly intelligent, handsome, sweet. We caught the festival downtown, too.”

  “I didn't take you for the festival type.”

  “How dare you insinuate I wouldn't enjoy human things.”

  Marc turned with a chuckle, stirring sugar into his coffee. “That just made you sound like an alien attempting to blend in with humans.”

  “Did I just blow my cover?”

  “You're a riot, kid. When are you going to see your date again?”

  Ari stifled his satisfied grin, turning it down a few notches as to not present an air of happiness. After all, he had an image to uphold. He couldn't allow all of his emotions to leak to the surface.

  At least not with Marc.

  “We're going to pick pumpkins this evening,” he replied. “We're hitting that pumpkin patch off Highway 80.”

  “Ah, the old Thompkins Farm.”

  “It's a lovely place for a hayride, too.”

  Marc prepared a cup for Ari, brought it to Ari's desk, and set it carefully on a glass coaster decorated with various moths. A droplet of coffee slithered down the mug, catching Ari's gaze immediately. He swept it up with his finger and popped the delicious warm liquid into his mouth, humming with contentment.

  “Hayrides,” Marc sighed as he sat down. “I haven't done that since I was a boy.”

  “It's good for the spirit.”

  “It's good for seeing spirits, you mean.”

  Ari cackled. “You know me too well.”

  “I can see right through your facade, Ari. You just want to scare that poor boy to death.”

  “Would that be such an awful thing?”

  Marc chuckled. “I mean, does he want to be scared to death?”

  “I don't know. I haven't asked him that yet.”

  “It might be a good idea to find out first.”

  Ari hummed in agreement as he raised his mug to his lips, taking a quick slurp. His shoulders relaxed as the caffeine dropped into his stomach, joining the sandwich he had consumed for lunch.

  He sighed as he rested his mug on the coaster. “I'm tempted to cancel on my client.”

  “Wow, all that after one date?”

  “There's something different about him, Marc. I can't quite place it. He's caught my attention.”

  Marc smiled. “It's good to see you swept up in someone. I was starting to think you were maybe a walking corpse.”

  “Hey, I could still be a walking corpse with needs. You never know.”

  “Do zombies have feelings?”

  Ari laughed. “I could find out for you.”

  “Aren't you a zombie?”

  “Wait, I thought I was a witch?”

  Marc guffawed and shook his head, nearly spilling his coffee. Ari glared at the mug in his unstable hand while debating whether or not to reach over to steady it. When Marc settled down, Ari relaxed. He folded his hands on his lap.

  “There's never a dull moment with you, man,” Marc joked. “Hey, I'm hosting a Halloween party on Friday. Do you want to come?”

  “Do I?”

  “Yes, that's the question.”

  Ari chuckled lightly. “I would love to attend.”

  “You can bring your new boy.”

  “I didn't realize I could bring toys.”

  Marc rolled his eyes and groaned, playfully wagging his finger in Ari's direction. “You're killing me. I should get back. Tell me what those zombies say about their feelings, okay?”

  Ari waved as Marc left, absorbing the silence that remained. The lingering scent of freshly brewed coffee tickled his nostrils and he reached again for his mug, closing his eyes to enjoy the peace that came with his afternoon indulgence.

  A knock interrupted his serenity. He peeled open his eyes to find Floyd looking frazzled, eyes bloodshot and hair a mess of oily curls. Floyd slid into the room with his shoulders bunched up to his ears and his arms curled to his chest. As he sank into the seat, Ari rose to shut the door and clicked the on button for the white noise machine.

  “Floyd,” he greeted calmly. “Are you alright? You look frightened.”

  “I'm just having those nightmares again.”

  “Do you want to tell me about them?”

  Floyd scrunched his features, pointing the tip of his nose to the ground as his shoulders shuddered. He might have been shrugging. It was difficult to tell with the tension bunching his limbs together like the shriveled discarded covering of a straw.

  “I should,” he admitted. “I will. I just...I don't know how to start.”

  “I'm here to listen, Floyd. You have my full attention. Take your time.”

  Floyd raised his gaze to Ari as if noticing Ari for the first time since walking into the office. His eyes glossed over as they settled on a focal point beyond Ari, somewhere on the wall just above Ari's head or perhaps to the right. The angle didn't matter. It was the fact that Floyd looked completely oblivious to his surroundings that had Ari concerned.

  But Ari never let his expression waver. The muscles of his cheeks remained relaxed, ready to receive whatever Floyd intended to confess. Ari often wondered whether one day he would hear the gruesome recollection of a murder slip from the lips of one of his clients or perhaps such a ghastly admission of something darker that might turn Ari toward organized religion.

  Nothing of the sort came from Floyd. All that erupted was pensive silence. The gloss over his eyes faded as he realized his surroundings, the haze of his features sinking ultimately into utter defeat.

  “I'll never get a good boyfriend with nightmares like these,” he whispered. “I scream at night. It's terrifying. I think the dogs hate it.”

  Ari nodded.

  “My best friend is head over heels for somebody else and it's killing me. I don't know if I can keep working with him.”

  “Why?”

  “I don't know if I can handle seeing him happy.”

  Ari took a deep, cleansing breath and exhaled slowly, quietly. He folded his fingers together as he often did with clients to steady the slight tremor in his fingers. Though it was from the caffeine, it could easily be mistake
n for fear.

  And Ari wasn't one to convey fear.

  “He's been talking nonstop about this guy like all day today and I don't know how much more I can take,” Floyd continued. “And I hate that I don't want to see him happy with someone else.”

  “Have you considered sharing how you feel with your best friend?”

  Floyd squared his gaze fully on Ari. “Didn't you ask me that last time?”

  “I did.”

  “I don't know. I don't think it's a good idea. I'd rather just hide in this stupid house with these dumb dogs and disappear.”

  Ari frowned strategically. “What makes you want to do that?”

  “Nothing. Everything. Who knows?”

  “That's valid.”

  “I don't understand.”

  Ari gestured vaguely toward the window, to the bustling world beyond the glass. “To not know is valid.”

  “I wish I did know. Then, maybe these shitty nightmares would go away.”

  Ari nodded with empathy.

  “It's aggravating. I just want to have a good sleep after a good wank. Maybe I shouldn't be doing that in my father's house. I still haven't decided if I want to sell it. I'm thinking about maybe keeping it and sub-letting my apartment to someone else.”

  “That sounds like a solid plan.”

  Floyd hummed. “Yeah, it does. I tried inviting Tanner to stay with me, too. Can you believe that? What would I do with my own best friend in my house?”

  “Would his presence concern you?”

  “Entirely. I mean, I don't want him to see the way I drink or the way I bawl in the middle of the night. It's awful.”

  Ari nodded.

  “But maybe if he did see that, he would comfort me.”

  “Does he know about your nightmares?”

  “He has no idea. I didn't want to bother him with it. He always gives me that concerned look every time I mention my father dying. It just...It's so...”

  “Aggravating?”

  Floyd perked up. The gloss in his eyes seemed to dissipate further as if it were a membrane splitting to reveal the eyeball underneath. Realization appeared to cross his vision.

  He frowned. “Something like that. Sure—I'm aggravated with him.”

  “But you want his comfort?”

  “I guess I sound like a hypocrite right now, huh?”

  Ari shrugged. “Do you think you sound like a hypocrite?”

  “I don't know. I guess so. I just want his attention. I want him to come over and hang out with me instead of going on these dates.”

  Ari fell silent while absorbing this statement from his client, chewing on it as though it were ancient bubblegum he found at the bottom of his desk drawer. As difficult as it was to chew, he did so with vigor. He considered it his duty.

  “Maybe I should tell him this weekend,” Floyd continued. “Yeah, I'll tell him this weekend. I'll take him out and we can talk about it.”

  “That sounds like an excellent plan.”

  “I can't keep hiding in this house anymore. Do you think I'm doing the right thing by talking to him?”

  Ari cocked his head curiously to the right. “I think it helps when we're honest with the people we love.”

  “He deserves to know. I deserve his attention. I'll do that.”

  A silent curtain swept between Floyd and Ari suddenly, causing Ari to squint pensively at the clock above the door. When his eyes returned to Floyd, he noticed Floyd had caved again, limbs crookedly lumped to his chest like a bug that had met its untimely end with poison.

  “Floyd,” he said calmly. “Are you alright?”

  “I'm just thinking.”

  “Take your time. I'll be right here.”

  Floyd snorted. “Do you ever get clients who don't talk?”

  “More often than you think.”

  “So, they just pay you to sit in silence or something?”

  Ari nodded. “Sometimes, people just need to know that they're not alone.”

  “That can be a comforting thought.”

  “I agree.”

  Floyd rolled his eyes to the ceiling, slowly unfurling his arms like petals blossoming to absorb the early morning sun. He relaxed then, his shoulders slumping forward as his reddened eyes searched for another focal point, something closer than the roof of the office. He settled on Ari's mug.

  “I've been drinking before work,” he admitted. “Not a bunch, just enough to get me through the day. It's been...Work is hard.”

  “By how you've described your nights, I can imagine so.”

  Floyd nodded. “But I'll be fine. I'll tell Tanner how I feel and then I'll work on my drinking. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, right?”

  Ari smiled and blinked, not quite laughing but not denying the joke either. “Do you feel confident about your decision?”

  “I do. I think I should head back now.”

  “It hasn't quite been an hour. Are you sure?”

  Floyd nodded and stood resolutely, saluting Ari before heading to the door. “I'll pay the girl up front. Thanks for your time, Dr. Davies.”

  “You're welcome, Floyd. I'll see you on Wednesday.”

  “See you Wednesday.”

  Floyd left in a rush, leaving behind the faint scent of vodka and body odor. Ari looked after the man, his expression shifting to a truer reflection of his concerns. His brows were knitted together and his mouth was drawn in a frown. A few minutes of reflection inspired him to lift his ink pen and jot a few notes down in Floyd's file.

  His phone buzzed again. And just like that, the events of the day faded as he realized Noah was texting him. He couldn't wait for the pumpkin patch.

  Or for the fresh taste of Noah's lips once more pressed to his.

  Chapter Six

  Noah

  “Pumpkins,” Noah mumbled as he approached a rusty tractor. “In a patch. I haven't done this since grade school.”

  He rounded the enormous farm equipment and tripped over a root, stumbling forward toward a stack of hay. An arm cut off his plunge to the prickly squares and he sighed heavily, standing to adjust his sweater.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I'm a mess.”

  “But you're a cute mess.”

  He focused on the person who had caught him, his eyes lighting up with recognition as his cheeks grew warm. Ari stood next to him.

  “What happened to the velvet?” he teased. “I thought you might sport it here of all places.”

  Ari chuckled. “I figured I would need to wear something more flexible for stooping and picking pumpkins.”

  “Gee, how many do you want?”

  “As many as I can carry.”

  Noah chuckled and nodded toward the path. He began to meander in that direction but waited, drinking in Ari's appearance as Ari fumbled with something in the pocket of his jeans.

  “Did you lose something?” Noah teased. “Would you care for assistance?”

  “Me? Accept help?”

  “Not used to the offer?”

  Ari snickered as he procured a pack of mints from his pocket. He extended the pack to Noah who accepted one gratefully. As Noah popped the cool morsel into his mouth, he met Ari's gaze. Two intimidatingly darkened pools drilled into him.

  And he loved it.

  He nodded again toward the path. “Ready?”

  “As ever.”

  Ari extended his hand and Noah naturally took it, the gesture taking him by surprise. Though at first glance, Ari might have appeared cold, the skin of Ari's palms were delightfully warm, inviting Noah to squeeze gently.

  Ari squeezed back.

  “I hope it's not too strange to have a date on a Monday,” Noah commented. “Though I honestly couldn't wait to see you.”

  “I feel the same.”

  “About Monday or seeing me?”

  Ari smirked. “Yes.”

  “Is that some kind of shrink trick?”

  “Perhaps.”

  Noah hummed curiously. “Well, I guess I have a lot to
learn about you.”

  “Isn't that what makes this so much fun?”

  “Oh, it's a bit packed tonight.”

  Ari raised his eyebrows, pausing on the path. If he had been wearing his long coat, it might have swept up behind him like a cape. Noah studied the way Ari stood, limbs long and graceful in the glowing torchlight echoing from either side of the path.

  “Does that bother you?” Ari asked gently. “We can always pick a different activity.”

  “Oh, it doesn't bother me. It's just...”

  “Take your time. I'm listening.”

  Noah smiled. “I see what makes you such a good therapist.”

  “I did it again, didn't I?”

  “No, it's quite alright. It was actually nice to hear that. I don't think anyone has spoken to me like that before.”

  Ari squeezed Noah's hand. “I guess there are some habits I can't quite shake.”

  “It's a good one to have. It made me feel more comfortable.”

  “I'm glad to hear that.”

  Noah shrugged lightly. “It's fine. I work inside all day and I'm hardly ever around crowds. I guess they just make me a little nervous.”

  “I can understand that. I'm not a people person myself.”

  “But you help people all day.”

  Ari nodded his head slightly. It was almost too faint to be noticeable. But to Noah, he could see just about every little detail for his brain refused to absorb anything else.

  “I do,” Ari agreed. “But those are encounters that occur in a vacuum. Being around people like this.” He gestured to the patch. “Well, this is a different ballgame.”

  “It sounds like we're both used to having our alone time.”

  “I think you're right.”

  Noah finally glanced at the long line of pumpkins. They went on for several rows, all various sizes and shapes with long stems or short stems, littered with tendrils or none at all. He knelt down to lift a particularly large pumpkin with thick skin and leaves the sizes of his palms. As he tickled the leaves, Ari stepped up beside him.

  He breathed deep the alluring aroma from Ari's sweater. Led by his nose, he nudged right into Ari's shoulder, drawing back immediately and nearly dropping the pumpkin out of embarrassment. Ari caught the pumpkin with a chuckle and set it down.